Show Notes
Recorded live at the Aotearoa AI Summit 2026 in Wellington, this episode brings together five voices with decades of grounded expertise and thinking past the hype cycle: data sovereignty, governance, physics, defence, venture.
In this episode, we hear from:
Peter-Lucas Jones — Chief Executive Officer, Te Hiku Media Peter-Lucas leads Te Hiku Media's iwi-led language technology work, speaking to Māori data sovereignty and the imperative to keep people — not systems — at the centre of AI.
Dr Mahsa McCauley — AUT; outgoing Chair, AI Forum NZ; UNESCO NZ Commissioner Recorded the day after handing over the AI Forum NZ chair at the end of her maximum six-year term, Mahsa reflects on how far the national conversation has come — from speculative, sci-fi framing to genuine focus on ethics, responsible AI and governance.
David Steele — Director, Texas, Plug and Play Tech Center A former decade-long Texas high school football coach turned venture scout, David now oversees Plug and Play's Texas offices after building its global sports-tech vertical. He draws a direct line between sport and startups: both reward agility, direct feedback and comfort with risk.
Hema Sridhar — Deputy Director, Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures A physicist by training and a former defence chief advisor, Hema brings that dual lens to AI policy. Koi Tū grew out of a five-year University of Auckland incubation into an independent charitable trust valued for being a neutral voice on hard questions.
Aotearoa AI Summit website: https://www.aotearoaai.nz/
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